It is an International rating of prestigious restaurants based on a tortuous and controversial mechanism invented by Jorg Zipprick. The compilation, which bestows awards on 1,000 restaurants, is based on the judgment of 550 guides, newspapers, magazines and web sites covering 165 countries. The so-called infallible algorithm is backed by the French Tourism agency who blessed the project in 2015. Unsurprisingly, La Liste 2018, released recently, shows Guy Savoy as number one for the second year in a row. The elegant Parisian address in the Sixth Arrondisement maintained its admirable 2017 point score: 99.75/100. Second place went to Kyubey in Japan (99.50) and the French cuisine of Le Bernardin in New York.
The bronze third was awarded to Plaza Athenée and Alain Ducasse in Paris, the restaurant of the Hotel Ville de Crissier in Switzerland, and Eleven Madison Park in New York – all with a 99.25 score. A sizable number of restaurants scored 99, including El Celler de Can Roca and Martin Berasategui– both Spanish - and The French Laundry in California. At 98.75, many of the tables that are favorite of international food fans, Osteria Francescana and Le Calandre included –Massimo Bottura’s and the Alajmo family’s restaurants were therefore in fifth place, although last year, Bottura was among the first three, with 99.25.
These two stars are ahead of a numerous group of Italians: Niko Romito’s Il Reale and Heinz Beck’s La Pergola at 97.75, Dal Pescatore at 97.50, Uliassi at 97.25. China turned out to be a culinary destination worth the visit, with 125 names on the list, compared to France’s 118, its closest competitor. But the overall national winner of the ratings battle was once again Japan, with 134 listings, spotlighting the dominance of Asia as a purveyor of top restaurant food.
